When the Secretary of Defense uttered the words that Area 51 had been destroyed, Zheng Zha was the first among the Central Continent team to hear it. Initially dazed, the moment he processed the meaning of those words several seconds later, he sprang to his feet, exclaiming, "What? Area 51 is destroyed? What kind of joke is this! Who destroyed it? How was it destroyed? How is that possible!" The other characters had indeed been shocked by the news, but compared to Zheng Zha's reaction, theirs was negligible. No matter how one looked at it, Zheng Zha’s reaction was excessively volatile, and it was immediately clear that he had known of Area 51's existence beforehand.

The Secretary of Defense appeared utterly devastated, lowering his head as he mumbled, "Area 51 was attacked by an alien fortress. That place is now completely blank, nothing is left... absolutely nothing!" As these words were spoken, the President reacted most violently, grabbing the Secretary of Defense by his collar and hoisting him up, "Why didn't I know about Area 51? Am I even the President of this country? And where did the budget for Area 51 even come from... I truly regret appointing you as my Secretary of Defense! Now that the nation faces a grave emergency, your department is utterly useless. Fine! You are relieved of your duties, effective immediately!" The Secretary of Defense, already stunned by the news of Area 51's complete obliteration, became even more vacant-eyed upon hearing this tirade. He could only stare blankly at the President and say, "You... you can't do this!" "He already has."

The President’s female secretary, standing near the now-rooted Secretary of Defense.

She smiled slightly before turning to the President, "Where should we head next? Air Force One can maintain flight for another eleven hours. The General Staff suggests flying to the continental Air Force Command in New York State, close to the two destroyed cities, to facilitate frontline command. However, the Vice President and others hope we can fly to the West Coast, far from the sound of gunfire..." The President fell silent, sinking onto a sofa. "The Vice President and the others are safe... What about my wife? Was she not on the plane with them?" The female secretary also fell silent, opening her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately uttered not a single word.

She merely shook her head, a shadow of sorrow crossing her face.

In the original movie plot, the President's wife was meeting someone in New York with a contingent of officials when the main cannon of the alien fortress launched its attack. His wife was caught in the barrage because her evacuation was too slow. Although she was eventually rescued, the rescue came too late for successful treatment, leading to her tragic death. However, the power of the alien main cannon now seemed vastly increased. It appeared highly probable that his wife had already perished in the primary attack.

"...Let's head to the continental Air Force Command in New York State. This is no time for retreat; the primary objective is to completely defeat the aliens... Zheng Zha, do you have any other suggestions?" After announcing this decision, the President suddenly noticed Zheng Zha looking utterly lost. He asked casually.

Zheng Zha shook his head vaguely. He truly didn't know what to do next. Chu Xuan in this horror movie had pulled a Xu Shu entering Cao Ying—remaining completely silent. Relying solely on the wisdom simulated from Xiao Honglü, he could only conceive of utilizing the Area 51 saucers for combat. But Xiao Honglü wasn't naturally adept at strategic planning, and this wasn't even his original intellect. To have conceived of everything and the subsequent team arrangements was already his limit. Who knew that a massive plot deviation would completely scrap his meticulously laid team plans? He had no idea what to do now... If Chu Xuan truly wouldn't speak, were they doomed to perpetually flee in this horror movie? (If the Area 51 saucers are no longer reliable... perhaps they could capture one or two when they come to attack? Sigh, I need to discuss this with everyone. The plot has completely changed, and the West Sea team is somewhere hiding secretly... this feels incredibly complicated.) Zheng Zha rubbed his temples, attempting to clear the complexity, but the more he thought, the more obscured all the clues became. They needed to attack, yet had to consider their sleeping companions; they needed to capture the enemy's psychic controller alive, and also prepare an escape route. All these immense difficulties converged, giving Zheng Zha a terrible headache.

While the aircraft flew toward New York State, Zheng Zha left the conference room and headed towards the Central Continent team's cabin. Just as he reached the door, he heard bursts of cheering from inside, interspersed with what sounded like the voice of a young boy. His heart leaped, and he rushed into the cabin. Indeed, he saw Xiao Honglü sitting on a sofa, laughing and chatting animatedly with Zhang Heng and the others.

"You're awake?" Zheng Zha stepped forward a few paces, exclaiming in surprise, "You really managed to break through the inner barrier on your own! How does it feel? Is it a feeling of great enlightenment, haha..." Xiao Honglü had intended to greet him, but upon hearing Zheng Zha's words, he could only offer a wry smile. The youth pinched the hair on his forehead and said, "I didn't wake up by myself. That nightmare kept tormenting me, turning over and over. I suffered in that haze for a long time, but I just couldn't escape that dream world. ★7: Several times I thought of death; perhaps death was the only true release from that pain. But I estimate that the moment my will faltered and I thought of dying, I would have truly died in that dream..." Except for the newcomers unfamiliar with the Nightmare on Elm Street details, Zheng Zha and the rest of the Central Continent team listened with rapt attention. When Xiao Honglü finished speaking, Zheng Zha asked curiously, "You didn't wake up on your own? Did someone help you? Who was it? Chu Xuan?" Xiao Honglü suddenly chuckled, his laughter slowly turning into a cold sneer, confusing Zheng Zha and the others until the young boy finally said, "I noticed it from the moment I was revived... you place too much faith in Chu Xuan. No, not just you—the entire Central Continent team does. You place too much faith in one person..." Zheng Zha glanced at Chu Xuan, who was sitting silently in the distance, and coughed awkwardly. "Aren't we a team? Believing in one person shouldn't be..." "Yes! We are a team!" Xiao Honglü clapped his hands and declared loudly, "Because we are a team, isn't everyone's strength crucial? Zero Point's long-range sniping, Zhang Heng's high-powered ranged attacks, Wang Xia's demolitions, my intellect... Your strength... The Central Continent team isn't just Chu Xuan! I admit, Chu Xuan's intellect far surpasses mine, but when the team needs it, I have the courage to shoulder my responsibility! This horror movie world's strategic planning task, I'll take it on..." Zheng Zha was stunned but didn't argue. He immediately unlocked the third stage of the Genetic Lock within his body. In his understanding, although Xiao Honglü was just a teenager, his character was truly resolute. While perhaps a bit self-assured, that stemmed from his sufficient intelligence. His sudden awakening and abrupt speech meant he must be trying to convey something, and that something likely carried a taboo... (...To awaken from the nightmare of the dream world, there are only two ways: either rely on internal strength, waking up through one's own power, having comprehended the inner barrier, thus being free of all worries, or rely on external force, aided by the psychic controller to shatter the nightmare in one go. There is no other method...) "Did Zhan Lan help you?" Zheng Zha suddenly asked. Xiao Honglü nodded straightforwardly, "Yes. She told me that Chu Xuan had contacted her in the dream world through some method, but she couldn't wake up on her own yet. The only thing she could do was make me wake up, allowing the team to pass this most dangerous juncture... a juncture without Chu Xuan."

In the next second, Zheng Zha had drawn the Tiger Soul Blade. Before anyone could react, the Tiger Soul Blade was pressed against Chu Xuan's neck. Only then did he ask Xiao Honglü, "Was Chu Xuan swapped? Did the opposing team do it? When? How?" Xiao Honglü immediately broke into another fit of laughter. Watching Zheng Zha aiming the blade at Chu Xuan, the young boy laughed ecstatically, as if all the humiliation suffered in Transformers had been vented. Only when Chu Xuan finally raised his head in irritation did he speak, "No, he's still him, but he's not him either... If what Zhan Lan told me in the dream is true, Chu Xuan should have already entered the fourth stage—the inner demon state..." "Inner demon state?" The surrounding group started in shock. Zhang Heng and the others exchanged bewildered glances, secretly recalling the time Zheng Zha entered his own inner demon state. Comparing that to the excessively calm Chu Xuan before them, he looked nothing like someone consumed by inner demons. So, after a few glances, everyone looked back at Xiao Honglü.

"Don't look at me." Xiao Honglü stepped down from the chair. The boy was slightly shorter than his peers, barely clearing Zheng Zha’s waist. He strolled over to Chu Xuan with a grin. "My speculation is based on what Zhan Lan said in the dream, but doesn't he look significantly different from usual? Also, I just heard Zhang Heng and the others discussing the current situation. The Central Continent team is indeed in a critical situation, yet Chu Xuan remains silent. The possibility of him entering an inner demon state is quite high. Perhaps he has a way to suppress this inner demon, preventing him from exploding into madness, but he is still behaving abnormally..." Zheng Zha quietly sheathed the Tiger Soul Blade. He was beginning to agree with Xiao Honglü's assessment; the state Chu Xuan was in was eerily abnormal. While usually silent, that was merely his personality; beneath the silence lay his inhuman intellect—the Chu Xuan they were familiar with... "Although it is somewhat unusual..." Zheng Zha suddenly asked with a trace of confusion, "but is our current situation really so dire? Even if Chu Xuan has truly fallen into an inner demon affliction, we could opt out of this team operation and follow the American officials to hide for three days—no, we only have two days left. If we just survive this onslaught, won't we have more opportunities once Chu Xuan safely passes his inner demon phase? What danger could there be?" Xiao Honglü sighed, then continued with a string of cold laughs. "It's come to this, and you're still talking about having many opportunities once you get through this... Without Chu Xuan, you don't even know how to walk anymore? You truly are a bunch of idiots. Haven't you stopped to think? If Chu Xuan hadn't specifically chosen this horror movie world to pass through his inner demon state, would he coincidentally enter it during a team battle? In other words, this horror movie must contain something he needs, or something that can help him overcome his inner demon state. That's how I interpret his actions. If that's the case, merely hiding is just letting this demon lie dormant. If we don't completely resolve his inner demon state, it might be us who get resolved... Do you understand? Besides fighting desperately, we have no other way out!" "Furthermore... you think you can hide safely for three days? In a difficult horror movie world rated for over ten people, you think you can hide safely for three days? Heh heh. Danger is right before our eyes..."

No sooner had Xiao Honglü finished speaking than the piercing alarm blared throughout Air Force One. Before anyone could react, the conference room door was violently flung open. A head poked in from outside, and the person yelled loudly, "Alien saucers are attacking! Everyone, brace yourselves! Air Force One is executing an emergency landing!" Because of the American President's stubborn insistence, Air Force One's flight path was not towards the unattacked western regions of America, but rather detoured around the attacked area of New York, heading towards the military outpost in New York State. Consequently, Air Force One was actually quite close to the alien airborne fortress. However, the group hadn't expected to be pursued by alien saucers. Rumor had it that all the saucers were busy attacking Area 51; how could there be any spare ones left to attack them? It was precisely because they needed to reach the New York State outpost before those saucers returned that Air Force One took such a risky route—only to still be attacked by these saucers..." The entire Air Force One descended into chaos. Most of the passengers were government officials and politicians; they lacked the discipline and training of soldiers. Facing imminent death, nearly all of them were flailing uselessly, creating a massive uproar. The situation aboard Air Force One looked utterly dreadful. Thankfully, the crew controlling the aircraft were all military personnel and hadn't collapsed. Upon receiving the attack alert, Zheng Zha, Wang Xia, Zhang Heng, Zero Point, and the other ranged combat personnel rushed to the in-flight combat operations room. With their addition, provided the number of attacking saucers wasn't excessive, they should still manage to cope.

(Let's set aside these immediate issues for now. Since we are on Air Force One, our survival depends on Zheng Zha and the others. There’s no point dwelling on it... There are plenty of other things to worry about. It seems without Chu Xuan, the Central Continent team has become truly weak, utterly incapable of competing with the Devil Reincarnation Squad or the Celestial God Reincarnation Squad. Alas, aside from the strongest physical force, wisdom is indeed critically important...) Xiao Honglü watched as Zheng Zha and the others rushed out of the cabin, but he slowly walked back to his chair and sat down. The youth then gently pinched the hair on his forehead and began to think.

(Area 19 destroyed... this is definitely different from the original plot, but it shouldn't be hopeless. After all, besides Area 51, we still have another intact saucer we can use, although that saucer might smell terrible... Even if that saucer is unusable, the existence of the other team could allow us to reach the alien headquarters... What I'm truly worried about is Chu Xuan...) Xiao Honglü looked with deep concern at Chu Xuan, who sat beside him staring at his laptop. Despite discussing all these matters next to him earlier, the man remained seated with an utterly indifferent expression, showing not the slightest change.

(If my deduction is correct, Chu Xuan intends to use the Guide to break through his inner demon. But doing so introduces far too many variables; even the slightest accident could lead to the entire team's annihilation... Chu Xuan, you really think highly of me. To execute your plan, given my level of intellect... can I really manage it?) Xiao Honglü sighed silently, pulling out a strand of hair with force. The youth held the hair up to his eyes to examine it closely, then casually blew it away until it vanished without a trace...

Zheng Zha and the others had just burst into the American President's command room aboard Air Force One when the aircraft began to shudder violently. Before Zheng Zha and the others could speak, several military officers burst in from outside. The leading officer immediately shouted, "We can see them with the naked eye now, about a hundred of them, densely packed, pursuing us..." As soon as the words fell, Air Force One violently swerved its tail, sending everyone except Zheng Zha and his group crashing onto the floor. Zheng Zha and the others exchanged glances, then tacitly bolted out of the cabin, rushing towards the tail section of Air Force One.

"It's exactly as Xiao Honglü said; there's no way to hide safely for three days. Those aliens are completely different from the original plot—they are purely relentless in pursuit!" Zheng Zha roared while running. Although he couldn't use 'Shave' inside the cabin, his speed was still the fastest among the group. In mere seconds, he reached a noticeable tear in the aircraft's tail—the spot he had kicked open last time, which had only just been temporarily patched before this brute kicked it open again.

Zheng Zha forced the gap wider, then immediately turned back to Zhang Heng, yelling, "Zhang Heng, use your Burst Arrows to test the protection level of those saucers! See how strong their defensive layers are..." Zhang Heng had also run to the opening to look out, but after only two glances, he grimaced bitterly. "The distance is too far. Although the Burst Arrows can reach them, their power is significantly diminished. Even Three-Shaft or Four-Shaft Burst Arrows won't be enough. Those saucers are ten thousand meters away from us..." Zheng Zha didn't waste time. He immediately turned to Zero Point, who responded decisively after just a couple of looks. "Zheng Zha, get me up onto the top of the plane. Only from there can I get a clear aim!" Zheng Zha paused, glancing at the Dragon Crystal Necklace still hanging around Zero Point's neck. This was the best defensive item against technological weaponry, and it was rechargeable. As long as it had infinite energy to charge it, the Dragon Crystal Necklace would be enough to ignore most technological weapons. "Then... it’s up to you." Leaping up...